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Trojan War
The Trojan War was a tremendous war of ancient times, lasting ten years. It began in 1,194 BCE and lasted into 1,184 BCE. History Onset According to legend, the deity called Discord was barred from entering a wedding between Thetis and Peleus. She tossed the Apple of Discord into the wedding all the same -- causing a bitter fight between Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena. The other deities, unwilling to settle the disagreement themselves, sent the deities to the human called Paris -- a prince of the city of Troy who was being raised as a shepherd because prophecies declared that he would bring about the destruction of the city. The goddesses appealed to Paris to choose between them, bribing him with promises. Athena offered wisdom and unmatched prowess in battle, Hera offered him great political power and control of all of Asia, Aphrodite offered him the love of the most beautiful woman in the world -- Helen. Paris awarded the Apple to Aphrodite. Meanwhile, Helen was fending off scores of suitors. Her father ultimately made each suitor swear to defend the marriage, no matter whom she chose to wed. Ultimately, she entered into an arranged marriage with Menelaus, a king of Sparta. Though he had pledged an offering to Aphrodite should he earn Helen's hand in marriage, he had forgotten about this offer. It was partly this offense that led to Aphrodite offering Helen to Paris -- influenced as she was by the Apple of Discord. Paris, after many adventures, returned to Troy and was recognized as a prince. Shortly thereafter, he took a diplomatic journey to Sparta. In truth, he sought only to claim his promised bride. Helen fell in love with Paris upon the very sight of him -- thanks largely to work of Eros. The two fled Greece together and made for Troy. The War Menelaus bade each of Helen's suitors to fulfill their oath and raised a veritable armada to wage war against Troy. It took years of sailing -- partially due to interference by deities -- but the Greeks reached Troy and began to lay siege. In the tenth year, both sides were in dire straits -- the Grecian army was prepared to mutiny out of a desire to return home, and Troy was likewise growing desperate. The final war took its toll, resulting in the deaths of many heroes -- Achilles, Ajax the Greater, Hector, and even Paris himself. Helen grew homesick and hoped to return to Greece, but the Trojans would not give her up even as she became wracked with guilt over the growing number of deaths. Ultimately, the Greeks resorted to a ploy. They built a terribly large wooden horse statue, which would be known as the Trojan Horse. Most of the Grecian army sailed their ships out of sight while the others hid inside their construct, and the Trojans -- believing the war was over -- dragged the wooden horse inside, despite warnings from the seer Cassandra. As the Trojans slept, the Greeks slipped out from hiding and began to slaughter them. The Trojans were left defeated, though the Greeks suffered heavy losses both during the war and -- perhaps even more so -- during their voyage home. Source The Trojan War is derived from Greek mythology. Category:History